Trench drains often have a grate across their top opening that must support loads that may include heavy vehicles. Grates are currently tested to certain industry standards, such as those promulgated by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) in AASHTO M306 “Standard Specification for Drainage, Sewer, Utility, and Related Castings.” Current testing equipment includes proof load compression machines, also referred to as test presses, which may have a static upper platen and a vertically moveable, hydraulically driven lower platen. With such a machine, when a component is to be tested, the component is placed on the lower platen, the lower platen is raised until the component contacts the bottom surface of the top platen, and then the compression test is performed.
Current testing machines and apparatus, however, generally impart only a load that is perpendicular to the surface of the tested grate, which may be a vertical load. Actual dynamic loads encountered, such as when a tire impacts the grate in use, also include a horizontal component. Thus, a need exists for a test apparatus that applies a load to a grate at an angle of other than 90 degrees to simulate actual use.